Race and Climate Justice

Lawyers for Civil Rights has launched a new practice area focused on climate resilience and environmental justice in low-income communities of color and immigrant communities.

With each passing year, the impact of climate change on low-income communities of color and immigrant communities becomes more harmful and dramatic. How we address that impact is one of the most pressing civil rights challenges we face today. As leaders on the front lines of justice, we must not only address the disproportionate impact of climate change on low-income communities of color and immigrant communities, but invest in creative and courageous actions in climate resilience planning, decision-making, policy-making, and legal action that include directly-impacted individuals.

While Massachusetts has existing infrastructure for environmental justice work, many of the organizations driving this work tend to focus on environmental issues rather than on the particular communities most affected. Low-income communities of color and immigrant communities are significantly underrepresented in decision-making, planning, and advocacy. Yet these communities are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, heightened proximity to environmental hazards, and a shrinking safety net to protect from extreme climate events and the adverse health impacts of pollution.

Our Race and Climate Justice Project will integrate the voices of low-income people of color and immigrants into climate change discussions, and ensure that solutions reflect the perspectives and needs of our communities.

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Race and Climate Justice Project

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Race and Climate Justice FOR PUBLIC RELEASE